The dust has now settled on the EAACI-WAO Congress 2013 and I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on what was one of the most successful events for research and discussion of allergy and immunology in recent years.

Milan provided a beautiful and elegant backdrop for the Congress with the truly magnificent Milano Congressi (MiCo) hosting over 7,700 attendees from 110 countries, including almost 770 people from the host nation. This diverse crowd helped provide stimulating and lively discussion not only in the numerous symposia’s, workshops and presentations in the programme, but also around the venue as a whole. I spent a lot of time talking to members of our Academy about the important work they are doing and I was thrilled to hear from everyone that the Congress had been so beneficial to their practice.

The Scientific Programme was praised for its wide variety with over 340 sessions and over 420 faculty members discussing a range of topics and for that I have to thank Marek Jutel and Lanny Rosenwasser as well as the Scientific Programme Committee. There were talks and discussions that suited everyone and it is a credit to their preparation that they were all so well attended.

Of course, the Congress also allowed the opportunity for the launch of two key publications, both of which will be vital for healthcare professionals. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Guidelines, which calls on European and national health policy makers to take up the cause of food allergy, and the Global Atlas of Asthma, which aims to provide a platform for strategic planning for asthma in a multifaceted way, integrating research, education and global policies, both received a great deal of attention and in many ways have already been established as groundbreaking publications for the Academy.

Thanks must also go to our Founder Sponsors as well as all those who exhibited over the five days. This is extended to our friends from the National Societies who were featured on the exhibition floor as well. It is important that we continue to work together and it is events like this that give us the opportunity to strengthen our relationship further.

The EAACI-WAO Congress also received much exposure in the media with both national and regional television channels from Italy covering the event. Articles were also published in numerous national newspapers worldwide and a great deal of symposia were attended by members of the key industry press. In terms of media coverage it has been our best ever event with 910 articles published solely online so far and many more promised.

Events like these do not materialise without months of preparation, planning and hard work so I would like to take this opportunity to thank the tireless efforts of the EAACI Executive Committee, the EAACI HQ staff as well as our friends from WAO. The collaboration between the two offices started months ago and together they helped bring to fruition a truly remarkable occasion.

Now we have said goodbye to Milan it is time to move on with focus now turning to Copenhagen and the EAACI Congress 2014. The wheels are already in motion with the official website launched in June and I understand that there are plans to improve attendees’ overall experience even more. The event will take place under the theme “Challenging Dogmas” and in this ever-changing world we as professionals often find new challenges facing us every day. Preparing for the EAACI Congress 2014 will be a challenge for all involved but it is one I am confident that Local Organising Committee Chair Lars K. Poulsen and all those involved, including myself, look to take head on to further the progress of this Academy.

Value of drug provocation testMJ TorresCarlos Haya Hospital, University of Medicine, Malaga]]>nick.winn@eaaci.org (Nick Winn)ROOTWed, 25 Sep 2013 07:36:07 +0000EAACI rises to the challenge of promoting allergic diseases as a major health problem at the EU levelhttp://www.eaaci.org/resources.html?id=2244
http://www.eaaci.org/resources.html?id=2244European Union (EU) institutions decide on policy and legislation in areas such as research, environment and public health for over 500 million people in 27 countries. The European Commission is aware of the rising burden of allergies in Europe, in particular in children, and is promoting EU action to help people choose healthier diets and lifestyles, as set out in the Strategy for Europe on nutrition, overweight and obesity-related health issues. However, despite the millions of EU citizens suffering from allergic conditions, the issue has only recently started to be regarded as a major healthcare problem.

Under the new EAACI Strategic Program, a comprehensive strategy in collaboration with various stakeholders will be developed, with the aim of placing allergy higher up on the EU agenda in the research, medical education and public health domains. As a first step, an EU Brainstorming Workshop was organized during the EAACI-WAO Congress in Milan, aiming to bring together all the relevant stakeholders: EAACI, patients’ organizations (EFA), other networks such as GA2LEN and MEDALL, UEMS, and industry representatives. The workshop proved an excellent opportunity for all the participants to discuss the current European regulatory framework, to assess current challenges, and to share best practice and initiatives from across Europe.

The following action key-points were agreed upon:• A harmonized and effective message should be developed, addressing the sensitivities of EU legislators.• Patients should be asked and actively involved in all EU initiatives.• A persistent presence in Brussels and collaboration between the different stakeholders is needed.• EAACI welcomes the participation of all key partners, responsible authorities and stakeholders in a collaborative network aiming to: